Canzone di Anima
by Moonlight Silhouette
Summary: AU. Bella has always known that vampires exist - how could she not, living in a place like Forks? - just as she's always known that they are monsters. But then the Cullens arrive, and Edward is determined to convince Bella that he's different.
1. Prologue

**A.N - I'm really quite excited for this story. I hope all of you guys like it as much as I do. Despite this prologue, the story will be in Bella's POV. Chapters will get longer as well. xD**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Characters, settings, etc belong to Stephenie Meyer whilst basic inspiration for the story came from the book Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. **

**The title I took inspiration from Holly4's story _Tempesta di Amore_ on the Buffy boards. I was thinking of a title and flicking through for ideas and the idea of it being in Italian seemed like a good idea. Kinda like a reminder of the Volturi's presence.**

* * *

_Prologue_

His gaze never wavered from the three people sitting in front of him. All of them had an imposing presence about them, the kind that had him standing at his full height of six foot two, poised so as to be able to defend himself easily, should the need arise. Aro, Caius and Marcus. The leaders of the oldest, most respected and most feared vampire coven had requested an audience with _him_. It would have been foolish to refuse.

"You, Edward Cullen," the one with long, jet-black hair – Aro – spoke first, speaking his name slowly as if emphasising how inferior the young vampire was, faced with the Volturi's royal presence. "Have come to our attention. Your … power perplexes us."

Edward's gaze never wandered, his face the picture of perfection as he stared at the leaders of the coven – never in their eyes, for that would be disrespectful. "How so?" His voice held no hint of sarcasm or maliciousness; it was merely inquisitive, even as his anger at their cold treatment of him was slowly building up within him.

"It is unlike any we've seen before," Caius interjected, the pale lighting casting an eerily ethereal glow on his almost translucent skin. "We're interested in having you join us. For you to become one of us."

His body remained still, revealing nothing to the searching gazes of the members of the Volturi. When he spoke, it was in a tone that was almost as hard as a diamond. "Why me?"

"In truth," Aro continued lazily, appearing to glance disinterestedly around the cavernous room, even as every other sense was honed in on their visitor, "It is not just you who confounds us – it is all of you in the Cullen clan. However, it is you who is the most amenable." He paused, scarlet-red eyes perusing the boy in front of him. "You are the one with most potential. As well as being the one with nothing to lose."

A growl built in his chest, rumbling through him before it caught in his throat, never gaining life. Edward's clenched fist relaxed slowly, finger by finger, as he focused on that action alone and not the ire that had encompassed him. "I have something to lose," he disagreed, his voice escaping in a quiet hiss. "I have my family – they're everything to me."

"Maybe so." Aro was clearly uninterested in anything Edward had to say. "But the rest of your family are all in relationships." His eyes locked on Edward's, becoming aware of the vulnerability that he'd been trying to hide. "Obviously you are not the most important to them." He continued on quickly, seeing the anguish in Edward's eyes and not giving him the chance to reply. "But, if your family matters that much to you …" Aro trailed off, reaching out to press a finger to Edward's temple, hearing for himself every thought the boy had ever had in an effort to confirm what the boy had said about his family, and smiled at what he had heard. "You have one year, Edward Cullen, in which to find the girl whose blood sings for you. One year in which to find the love you seek. Failing that, you have no excuse not to join our little family here. Agreed?"

Edward had the feeling that his fate had just been sealed for him. The simple touch from Aro had enabled the Volturi to manipulate him so easily that it was almost guaranteed that he would be back in Italy, one year hence, loveless, miserable and ready to join the coven regarded as royalty.

The word left him with a sigh as he jerked away from Aro's touch, staring up at the vampire with butterscotch eyes filled with steely determination. "Agreed."


	2. One

**A.N - Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. This is way longer than the prologue, and has more plot. So, hopefully, more people will be inclined to review and tell me what they think?**

**I really am loving writing this story. xD**

* * *

_One_

"Oh. My. God." Sharp fingernails dug into Bella's arm as she winced with suppressed pain. "They're here!"

_They_ could only mean one thing – five people. The Cullens.

Jessica hadn't been the only person to notice their arrival in the cafeteria. The usual, low, buzzing din of conversation ceased as every head turned to catch their first, second, or even third, glimpse of the new students.

Every head except Bella. Instead, she focused on the blood pooling on her arm and tried not to faint as the smell made her dizzy. Bella couldn't stand the smell of blood – the iron felt like it clung to the back of her throat as she choked out words around it – but the sight of the red fluid rising to the surface of her pale skin fascinated her.

"Bella!" The hiss of her name came from the girl to her left. Jessica Stanley, whom she'd known since they were in kindergarten. "Look, would you?"

Bella shook her head, her hair falling and making a barrier between her and the rest of the cafeteria. Keeping her eyes down at the table in front of her, she refused to show an interest in the new students.

She'd seen only a few – living in a town like Forks, having a new student at all was almost a novelty – but she knew that with the gaze of every person in the room on them, it could get quite intimidating. She jumped as she felt a warm finger tilt her head up.

"They'll be okay," the words were spoken with a wink. "I lived through it, all by myself. At least these Cullens have each other."

Her smile was small, but heartfelt as she expressed her thanks to Mike Newton in her wide, brown eyes. She nodded at him, her smile twisting the corner of her mouth beautifully.

"Only three are actually called Cullen," her aptly titled 'chatterbox' of a friend informed the rest of the table. "The blonde ones are the Hales."

Mike glanced over at the table the new students had taken. "What's the name of the one with the copper hair?" He peered around Bella. "He seems like he's annoyed with someone."

The temptation to look was getting too much to tolerate. Bella found her hands reaching for a pen as she focused her attention on drawing on the back of her hand instead. Long, swooping motions with a black biro was her distraction from seeming no better than the rest of the student population.

"Oh," Jessica flipped her own curly hair over her shoulder, leaning towards Mike over the table, flirting obviously. "His name is Edward Cullen." She tilted her head at the student, eyes perusing him lazily. "He's quite good looking, actually."

The dark colour was actually quite striking against the pale of her skin, Bella decided as she felt her cheeks burn pink. The way her friends spoke so openly about their attraction towards others always filled her with embarrassment.

Mike glanced at Bella, noting her flushed cheeks, and the conversation at the table died to a tense silence as he had yet to respond, leaving Jessica's words suspended awkwardly in the air like a ghost. She glanced up, wondering why the talking had stopped and found Mike's eyes studying her intently.

Her mouth fell open, wanting to make a response, but not knowing what to say. She was saved the agony of doing so.

"Oh." Jessica's voice stung like acid as it fired out across the silent table. "He appears to be looking at you, Bella."

Bella's eyes widened, her mouth forming a small 'o' of surprise as the pen she'd been trailing across her hand jerked to a standstill. "Me?" She shook her head frantically, hating the feel of several gazes on her face. Hating the fact that she could feel _his _eyes burning her. "No, no. That's got to be wrong. Why would he …? I mean … me?"

"He's watching you Bella." Mike's voice was eerily cold. "It seems as if his eyes are almost black." He turned his face away from hers swiftly and Bella felt a sting of rejection in her stomach.

Able to fight it no longer, Bella finally gave in to the urge to acknowledge the new students' presence. The five of them were eerily beautiful. None looked alike, odd, considering they were related, yet, in another way, they looked entirely the same. All five had purple shadows decorating under their eyes and they all had faces that seemed too perfect.

It wasn't hard to find out which one who been given the name Edward Cullen by her friend. His copper-coloured hair glinted dully in the artificial school lighting, yet that didn't distract in any way from his overall breathless-inducing beauty. And, yes, his eyes were focused only on her.

A blush raised to her cheeks, staining the ivory skin a darker red as Bella tried to fight it off. But her eyes refused to move from where they were locked with this boy's own. Which is when she swore she saw a flash of red leak into his eyes, his dark gaze becoming all the more menacing, and she gasped.

Stuttering excuses, she ran from the cafeteria and off school premises. She was out of breath by the time she reached a payphone and dialled the familiar number.

"It's me." In spite of her shock, Bella found a smile spreading across her face as she heard the reply on the other end. "Can you come and pick me up?"

* * *

The wait was bearable – it was hardly any time to wait at all. But, as she was alone, each moment that passed was agonisingly long. And each moment that passed, she was thinking of him, of Edward Cullen and his red-speckled, inky black eyes.

She felt a shiver pass through her just as the sound of an engine roaring became louder as it came down the street, breaking in front of her with an ear-splitting shriek. She'd have winced, had she not been used to the sound.

The driver stepped out, tall, tanned and dark, his friendly smile instantly alleviating her rapidly approaching dark mood as he wrapped her up in his familiar, warm embrace. "Hey there, Bells." Jacob grinned as she climbed up into the '53 Chevy pickup truck that he and his father, Billy, were working on for her to use to drive to school. He waited until she'd pulled her belt over her safely before he shut her door and climbed into the driver's side, gunning the engine once again, and wincing as it spluttered a complaint. "That needs more work." He noted with a wry smile.

Bella remained silent, her head propped up on her hand as she stared out the window at the passing scenery.

"What's with this ditching school?" Jacob asked, filling the comfortable silence with words that held the potential to shift the conversation into something undoubtedly uncomfortable. "It's not like you."

She made a non-committal sound, determined not to talk about it.

"You even skipped out before Biology." He glanced at her quickly before turning his attention back on the road. "What's wrong?"

"Why would anything be wrong?"

Her voice was quiet and dismissive, laced with a warning for him to not pursue the conversation. He said nothing, only raised his eyebrows. Seeing that he wasn't going to let it drop, Bella sighed and turned to face him, changing the conversation as they approached the La Push reservation.

"Do you remember those ghost stories that Billy used to tell us when we were little?" Bella's voice was low, almost conspiratorial. "About the cold ones?"

Jacob laughed, the sun shining down on his russet-toned skin in a way that had his arm sparkling much like Edward's hair had done under the cheap lighting. "I remember your hand crushing my own, you were so scared." He flexed his hand against the steering wheel. "You were supposed to be the big, fearless six-year-old. Even at five I knew they were just ghost stories." He laughed again, the usually contagious sound falling on deaf ears.

"But what if they aren't, Jacob?" Her voice was a whisper. "What if there are such a thing as vampires?"

"Ridiculous." He dismissed the notion easily as he pulled up into the safe haven of their home.

"Remember what the stories said?" She glanced out across the sea. "Eyes that change colour? Skin that is beautiful and pale?"

"Skin that shines like diamonds in the sun?" Jacob put his warm hand down on her shoulder. "Yeah, I remember." He noticed that she was shaking and pulled her into his warm chest. "Bella, what's wrong?"

She bided her time to answer, staring down at the pattern on her hand, drawn when she was trying to resist the temptation of staring at the Cullens.

"The stories are real, Jacob." Her wide eyes looked up imploringly at his face, gauging his reaction to her words. "There _are_ such a thing as vampires. And now they're in my school." Jacob's protective grip on her tightened as he glanced around him and led her into the house. "But they can't come here, right?"

She looked so scared, Jacob could think of nothing he'd rather do in that moment than to reassure her of her fears, and protect her. "No, they can't."

"Good." She pulled away from him and averted her eyes, not wanting to see something in his own that she didn't want to. Unconsciously, her fingers raised to idly scratch at the back of her hand, the ink there making her itch.

Only as she was about to wash it off later that night did she glance down and see the word inscribed in somewhat calligraphic writing, so different to her usual messy scrawl, and Bella felt dizzy as she realised what the letters spelt.

_Edward_.


	3. Two

**A.N - I apologise for the wait. Things haven't been so happy recently. Hope you guys are still with me. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing. I love to read them!**

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_Two_

Her eyes darted everywhere, but not at their table. The one belonging to the vampires. Yet, she could feel the gaze of every single one of them itching at the back of her head at one time or another. Her eyes fell onto the table in front of her, staring at her hand as her dark hair curtained her face.

"What happened to _you_ yesterday?" The slightly snobbish tone belonging to Lauren had Bella jerking her head upwards, words stumbling over themselves in her mind as she thought for an excuse.

"Um, I, er," nervously, Bella glanced around her. "I was just –"

Relenting, she sighed and remained silent, ignoring the people at her table once again.

"Who was that guy who dropped you off this morning Bella?" Mike's jealous tone whispered harshly in her ear. "He looked a little old for you."

She fought the urge to laugh, the threatening gasps of laughter caught in her throat as she choked them back down. "Who? Jacob?" Her words were accompanied with a small, pretty giggle. "He's just a friend – his father is my guardian."

The confused expression that twisted onto his handsome face could be considered adorable. "So," he paused, his mind trying to make sense of the words. "You live with him?"

Bella nodded, her eyes wide as she looked up at Mike, her pale, heart-shaped face flawless and void of any emotion; as it always got when she had to remember the heart-breaking agony that had wrenched her parents away from her at a young age.

"Sorry."

He had caught her expression and immediately felt guilt shoot through him, mumbling words no one could decipher as he hid his face behind his hands.

The bell ringing loudly interrupted the awkward silence that had descended, like a ghost, upon the table and every person present stood, almost simultaneously, shrugging their bags over their shoulders.

Silently, Bella followed Mike to their next lesson, Biology II. She loved this lesson; she understood the work and sat alone, not having to talk to anybody as she finished her work in silence. Only, when she walked into the classroom, she saw somebody else sitting at her desk – someone arguably non-human.

She froze in the doorway, her eyes staring into his dark, butterscotch eyes, which were embedded in a paler face than her own. Wrenching her eyes away from his, she noticed the self-satisfied smile that sat boldly on his jaw as he tapped his pencil, slowly, against the table.

"Ah, Bella," her teacher, Mr Banner, greeted her. "I'm not sure if you've met our new student before now, but he's your new Biology partner. I think the two of you might make a great partnership."

A blush patterned her cheeks at her teacher's choice of words before she nodded, once, and walked to her seat, turning her back to the vampire she was now forced to endure. Pointedly, she flicked her hair over her shoulder – not noticing Edward Cullen freeze – and bent over her notebook.

It was an undeterminable amount of time that had passed before she felt cold fingers tap against her shoulder twice; the second time, the touch lingered against her skin, chilling her and making her shiver.

"Bella." It was the first time she'd heard him speak and his voice, she found, was addictive. He'd barely finished the second syllable before she felt herself wanting him to speak again, wanted him to talk to her. She shook her head, undetected, forcing herself to be rational. In response, she turned her head fractionally towards him, never looking at him. Undeterred, he continued. "I don't understand this question."

Sighing, she turned fully and glanced at his notebook, noticing that the question had already been answered, perfectly in a neat calligraphic penmanship. But that wasn't what made her pulse increase or her palms moisten with a nervous, clammy sweat.

"Bella?" Edward's voice actually sounded like he cared about her, his tone disguised by a nervous worry. "What's wrong? You look …"

He trailed off, reaching out a hand to clasp her own, only to have her jerk backwards and gasp out a loud "No!" that could be heard around the classroom.

A tense silence reined, every pair of eyes turning to glance at her.

"Isabella?" She barely recognised her given name – no one called her by that anymore. "Are you alright? Bella?"

The shock of a warm handing clasping heavily on her shoulder in order to gain her attention had her jumping off her stool and turning frantic eyes on her Biology teacher. "No," she answered. "I don't feel too well."

"Again, Bella?"

She nodded, packing away her equipment with a furious pace as she inwardly cursed herself for running away. _Again_.

Stumbling out of the classroom, she ran gratefully into the cold air, shocking herself into awareness. She closed her eyes and fell onto the curb, resting her burning forehead against the cool stone.

Overreacted. That's what she'd done. It was a coincidence, and only that, that Edward's handwriting had matched that in which she'd inscribed his name onto her hand the day before. Just a coincidence.

Taking a deep breath, Bella finally looked up and saw a glint of silver flash in her peripheral vision before it came to a stop a few feet from her. Climbing out of the car, with a dancer-like grace, was a girl, her skin as pale as Edward's and her hair chopped messily into a pixie-like look. A quick glance at her eyes – the exact same shade as Edward's – and Bella knew the girl was watching her intently.

Studiously avoiding her gaze, Bella stood and walked away, rounding a corner as she heard a familiar voice calling a name that had her breath catching in her throat.

"Edward, wait up!" Mike Newton panted by the vampire's side. "Man, you walk fast." Regaining his composure, Mike continued coolly. "We're having a get together in La Push next week. I was wondering if you were interested?"

"La Push?" Bella watched as Edward's eyebrows rose and his lips revealed his glinting, ivory teeth as they spread into a smile. She watched and she swore that his eyes momentarily met hers, even though she hadn't made a sound. "Sounds good. I'll be there."

Bella's heart skipped a beat, her breaths growing ragged at the thought. Vampires weren't allowed to enter the La Push reservation. Billy Black had told her when she was a child, Jacob had reassured her of that fact not twelve hours ago. And now Edward was insisting that he would be there, after all.

This was all wrong. Each and every single vampire myth she'd been told over the past seventeen years were being dismissed as easily as if they were gravel among beautiful jewels. Could it be that, possibly, she was wrong? That there was no such thing as vampires?

But there _was_. She'd seen them – living in Forks for all of her life had made her more aware of the abnormal. Leaning against the wall, Bella shut her eyes and willed the truth to reveal itself.

A flash of Edward's scarlet-flecked, dark eyes haunted her dark vision and her eyes snapped open immediately.

She needed to stay away from Edward Cullen, she told herself. She desperately needed to avoid him, before she found herself in too deep.


	4. Three

**A.N - I kind of like this chapter. Particularly the ending. **

**Let me know if you agree?**

**:)**

* * *

_Three_

Bella had lived with the Blacks since the age of eight when her parents had been cruelly taken away from her by fate. Since then, she'd always regarded the Black household as her own, even after Jacob's sisters – her closest friends – grew up and moved away. Bella always considered that house her home; her comfort zone.

Now, however, it mockingly smiled at her, inviting her inside it's falsely safe walls. Convincing her that it held protection for her – an apparently blatant lie. Bella sat behind the wheel of her car, staring up at her home, refusing to enter the dangerous walls.

The door opened and a tall, muscular boy filled the doorway, wincing as the sun shined upon his russet-toned skin and squinting his eyes to find Bella in the driveway.

"Bella!" Jacob called, smiling widely at her and gesturing for her to come inside. "There you are! Dad was getting worried."

The pain of worrying Billy was evident upon her face as she climbed out of her car, her backpack slung over her back. Mixed in amongst the pain, however, was the obvious fear etched into her skin.

"Bella?" Jacob asked worriedly, reaching out to pull her into a tight hug the second she was close enough. "What's wrong? Why are you scared?"

She smiled wryly; of course Jacob would notice how scared she was. He was her best friend. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, threatening to fall with a single blink.

"Jacob?" She whispered. "Vampires aren't allowed on the reservation, are they?"

His grip tightened noticeably, worry and protection instantly overriding any other emotion in his system. "No." The one word managed to portray every single ounce of hatred towards these vampires that he had in his body before he continued in a softer tone. "But you know that, Bella. So, what's up?"

She tipped her head back to look up at Jacob's friendly face as he held her tightly in his arms, his warm chin resting on the top of her head. "Mike Newton is arranging his annual La Push party again." Jacob nodded, knowing of the tradition. "He invited Edward – one of the vampires – and he accepted."

Confusion spread across Jacob's face as he realised they were stood in the doorway and pulled her gently inside their home. "Did Newton say where -?"

Bella's frantic nod had him cutting off his question immediately. Silence reined heavily in the room before Bella broke it again, her voice strong as she voiced her fear. "What if these vampires are so strong, the … the thing that keeps them away from here means nothing?"

Jacob shook his head in dismissal. "Vampires are creatures of their words." He insisted. "It was their own kind that promised to not touch reservation soil. They'll keep their promise."

"So, why…?"

Jacob merely shook his head, struggling with the information as much as she was. "Go into town the day of the party, Bella. To Port Angeles. I'll stay here and make sure no vampire turns up, and if they do, well … I wouldn't want you to be here anyway."

Betrayals of her mind, begging her to object to his plan were too tempting to ignore; but ignore she did. Jacob meant more to her than anyone in the world and he'd only recently recuperated from a completely incapacitating illness that had him rendered bed-ridden for two weeks with a temperature higher than should have been possible for a human being. She didn't want to antagonise him so soon after his recovery stage.

"Okay," she nodded. "Fine. I'll go and catch a movie, or something."

He pressed warm lips to her temple as a form of comfort. "Good girl."

She pulled away from his warm embrace with a stern expression on her face. "Don't patronise me!" She teased him. "I'm older than you, you know."

"Yeah," he shrugged easily, completely willing to forget about vampires and the supernatural for the time being. "But you're so short, it hardly matters."

* * *

The omnipresent clouds in the sky darkened the day, providing the buildings with a rainy mist of protection from the ever-lacking presence of the sun. There'd been a time when she'd despised the rain, the snow, and the cloudy days. She longed to see bright blue skies and feel the blistering hot sun warm her face. Now, however, she found comfort in the rain and the cold. Whenever the rain poured from the sky, or froze and fell in snowflakes, she thought of Forks. It was comforting to her.

She turned a corner, noticing how busy the streets were. People bustled among each other to rush into their next shop, an attempt to escape the threatening downpour.

She almost didn't notice him.

Which, of course, was stupid. _Everybody_ noticed Edward Cullen. His copper hair shone, even with the day as dull as it was, his pale skin encased in a turtleneck sweater and loose jeans, held up by a mesh belt. He was in front of her, so she couldn't see his face. But, from what she could see, she couldn't help but notice that he really was remarkably good-looking.

The fuss that had been made on his first day was totally justified.

Was it really, Bella wondered, so bad to be attracted to him? To a vampire?

His arms looked like they could hold you tightly, embrace you with protection and love without him ever having to say a word.

He stopped and turned, his eyes clashing with hers. The butterscotch colour she'd come to anticipate was absent and, in its place, flecks of dark hunger bled into the centre, mixing with the raven black colour of his pupils. He grinned, teeth straight and gleaming a brilliant white directly at her as the smile caused his eyes to sparkle. Using his hand, he pushed a stray copper curl back from his forehead, allowing his fingers to thread through his hair.

It was – _he _was utterly _dazzling_.

And Bella suddenly remembered what he was. Hardly even believing she forgot in the first place.

One last longing look towards him and she turned on her heal, backtracking on herself in an attempt to get away from him.

"Wait, Bella. Wait." Edward was at her side in the next moment – unbelievably quick. Another reminder of what he was. If only his voice didn't have her instantly entranced. "I was hoping to find you."

"Why aren't you in La Push?"

Bella's question was curt and direct; Edward winced.

"I had a fight with my sister," his lie was spoken so clearly and without hesitation that she probably should have believed him. "I wasn't welcome there anymore."

That, at least, was the truth.

"Well, I have to get back."

Bella moved to walk away from him again but cold fingers locking around her wrist stopped her. She gasped at the thrill of longing she felt shocking through her and her eyes moved from his long, sculpted fingers to his darkened eyes within a split second.

Her heartbeat was drumming loudly – embarrassingly so, given present company – and she felt the customary blush spread across her cheeks.

"Please, Bella." Edward's voice was choked. "Spend the day with me. Let me convince you that I'm worthy of your company." Her hesitance must have been visible on her face, if Edward's immediate insistence was anything to take into consideration. "Please. At least give me an hour. I promise you that, if you still want to, I'll take you home."

And, incredibly, she found herself agreeing and wound her fingers with Edward's with a nod and a smile. The cool touch of his hand in hers sent explosions of warmth through her body and the calm touch of his thumb as it smoothed the back of her hand had Bella suppressing content sighs as they walked in silence to what could very well be her downfall.


	5. Four

**A.N - Hey guys, sorry for the delay. School, homework, yadda yadda. But, I'm on a parent's evening buzz. Gotta post this, and hope that you guys like it. xD**

* * *

_Four_

Bella had never been one to revel in attention; in fact, she shied away from any type of public activity that involved all eyes on her. But the glares she received from all of Edward's many female admirers as they walked through the streets of Port Angeles, hands clasped together intimately, had her bristling with joy at the thought that Edward had chosen _her_.

And then she remembered what he was and it was as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, dampening her heart and spirit. She pulled her hand away from his tight grip and crossed them over her chest, a defence mechanism.

"Um," she stuttered, averting her gaze from Edward's piercing butterscotch eyes as they watched her every move. "So, what do you want to do?"

He smiled, revealing his astoundingly, blinding white teeth, and gestured to the shop they stood in front of, before ducking his head in what Bella could only identify with embarrassment. She glanced up at the shop sign and noticed that the old, cursive writing declared it a bookshop. Bella felt the beginnings of a smile itch at the corners of her mouth whilst her eyes gazed at the doorway of the shop longingly.

"Shall we?" With turn-of-the-century grace, Edward pulled open the door, which creaked loudly to announce their arrival, and bowed gallantly, allowing Bella in before him.

Blushing discretely, a faint shade of pink that resembled too much blusher than what it actually was, Bella smiled shyly at Edward as she passed him, thanking him softly under her breath and knowing that he could hear her.

"I know," Edward interrupted the peaceful tranquillity of the murky, dusty store with his low, liquid-like voice, "that this isn't like a usual date, but –"

"We're not on a date." Bella interrupted, eyes travelling to the top of the tall bookshelves as she wandered through the stacks, leaving Edward to follow behind her.

"I know," he grinned. "But I still want you to enjoy yourself."

How bad would it be, she wondered, to admit that I would enjoy myself more in a bookshop than in a restaurant, or somewhere that was a more typical date. Not that we are on a date.

"I am." She smiled at him, her deep brown eyes glinting with glee. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He whispered the words with reverence; almost as if he was too ashamed to talk to her, or that pleasing her was a form of worship.

Idly, Bella travelled further to the back of the store, hands trailing over the freshly bound temptation of the paperback novels and the neat, new hardbacks that littered the shelves. She paused when she reached the classical section, one particular book staring down at her, challenging her to walk away from it.

Edward followed her gaze and reached up to effortlessly pull the book down from the tallest shelf and hand it to her. "Do you want it?"

She hesitated, fingers lightly brushing the slightly raised writing that spelt out the book's title: _The Complete Collection of Austen Novels. _Sadly, she shook her head and handed it back to him. "No," she spoke loudly, her tone strong, if not a little distant. "It's ok."

Bella turned her back on Edward and walked towards the shop door, inhaling the familiar new book smell as she left before emerging onto the street, which smelt of freshly fallen metallic rain. She focused on breathing slowly in and out of her mouth, so she wouldn't have to smell the nausea-inspiring hint of metal, as Edward lingered behind in the shop. When he finally came out, he clutched a plastic bag to his chest and looked up to see Bella's pale face.

After a quick glance upwards, he shrugged off his jacket and placed it carefully around her shoulders. "It looks like it's going to rain. Come on."

Clutching her hand in his free one, he led her on a long and winding path through the sidewalk full of shoppers, umbrellas opening as the first spatters of rain began to fall. His shiny silver Volvo welcomed them like the sight of land to weary sailors, returning home after a long voyage.

Edward opened the door for her, helping her in, before ducking around to the driver's side and climbing in himself.

"Here," he handed the bag to her, glancing at her as his eyes picked out the detail of each individual drop of rain that lay scattered like crystals amongst her dark hair. "I bought you this."

She took the bag silently, taking in a breath as her cleeks flushed and she began to object. "But, you didn't have to –"

"I know," he told her, his cold hand moving to wrap around her own smaller, warmer ones. "You may not even like it – it isn't what you were looking at."

"I don't like accepting gifts."

"Isabella," her full name sounded odd, yet remarkably formal when he spoke it in his old-fashioned, regal-like tone. "Please, just humour me."

Biting her lip, Bella opened the bag and unsurprisingly found a paperback novel inside. Taking it out, she read the title and smiled as she recognised it. _Sense and Sensibility_. One of her favourite Jane Austen novels. It was only a split second later that she remembered the name of the main character was Edward, and she whispered the name softly.

An omnipresent reminder of _him_.

"Thank you," Bella spoke, her voice breaking the bordering on tense silence that reined in the car. "I love it."

He didn't accept her thanks; Instead, he pushed aside a lock of her hair, his cold hand chilling her cheek as he cupped her face, stealing the warmth from her skin and breathed her name softly, leaning closer towards her.

Bella's eyes darted from his own darkened irises to his soft, full lips as her heart began to pound in her chest, the sound of the frantic palpitations echoing in her ears. She let her eyes fall shut and tilted her head to better fit with his, the impact of what she was about to do hitting her just a split second before their lips touched.

It was better than anything she could have ever thought – the feel of his soft lips against hers and her cheek in his hand. But the embrace barely lasted a second before Edward pulled away, looking at her with hungry eyes, the black irises a far cry from their earlier lighter shade, and she gasped.

He looked away, wrapping his hands around the steering wheel and staring at them intensely as the knuckles strained, white underneath his ivory skin.

"You should go," he mumbled, eyes falling shut. "Can you get a lift home?"

Bella looked out the window, feeling absurdly upset at the thought that he wouldn't drive her home before remembering that he was physically incapable of doing so, because of the treaty. She nodded.

"Good."

Bella shrugged off the jacket and handed it back to him silently, and he accepted it without a word.

"Thank you Bella," he whispered as she stepped out of the car. "For giving me a chance."

She gave no indication of hearing his words, other than a brief hesitation in her movements, before she shut the door behind her, and walked away from Edward Cullen.

* * *

"You know," Jacob informed her as she walked through the door, stepping awkwardly over the threshold as she noticed his bulky frame stood behind the door, casting a shadow over her blissful mood. "Edward didn't actually turn up at the party today. Nor did any of the Cullens, in fact."

"I know." Bella walked into the living room and collapsed on an armchair, pulling her knees up to her chest as she thought about the day. "He found me in Port Angeles."

Instantly, Jacob swooped forward to sit at the foot of the chair Bella occupied, his hand ghosting over her body as he checked for any injuries she might have sustained during the day.

Bella glanced up sharply at him, determination etched into her eyes. "I'm fine, Jacob." She told him, voice firm. "Just … I think that Edward might actually be different. I don't think he wants to hurt me."

Jacob froze as he glared at her, his dark hair falling and contrasting against his russet-coloured skin. "Vampires can't be different, Bella." His voice was thick with warning. "Vampires don't change."

"You're wrong," she challenged, standing up to face him as high as her height allowed her to. "Edward is different – I know it. I think I might even be starting to, well, like him."

Jacob jerked away from her angrily, frustration coiling through his body and tightening the muscles in his arms as he clenched his fists at his side. "They're killers, Bella." He spat at her, injecting more venom into his voice than Bella had ever thought possible from her best friend. "_Bloodsuckers_."

She remained silent, staring defiantly up at him and refusing to give life to the tears stinging the back of her eyelids as Jacob finished his hurtful accusations.

"And if you're not careful, they'll kill you too."


	6. Five

**A.N - Thanks for the feedback guys! I love hearing from you. :)**

* * *

_Five_

Forks High School was a small place and, by default, word travels fast. It was with a heavy sigh that Bella entered the school, knowing that every hushed whisper, every brief glance and every conversation ender was a result of her encounter with Edward that was so brief it could barely be called a date.

Pink tinged her cheeks as she thought about the reason her book bag was heavier than usual today. She'd stupidly thrown in her new copy of _Sense and Sensibility_, about an Edward, from an Edward.

"I heard …"

"Did you hear that apparently, Bella …?"

Snippets of conversation weaved in amongst her blocked off mind as she fought to hide from the attention she'd never wanted. All these people knew was that she'd spent half an hour on Saturday with the sexy new guy. No one knew that she potentially risked her life to spend time with her.

And no one knew that she'd barely gotten so much as a goodbye peck at the end, lest his thirst to _drink_ her overtake him and she'd find herself clutched in his deadly embrace, blood seeping from her body, platelet by platelet.

Entering her first classroom, she threw her bag down on her desk and rested her head on her hands, using her long hair as a shield and ignoring the desperate cries Jessica threw her way.

A warm hand rested between her shoulder blades, scorching her through her jacket and she kicked herself for immediately thinking – hoping – that it was Edward. But, of course, vampires have no body temperature.

"Bella," a familiar voice called, spreading her name into longer than the two syllables it actually was. "Guess who?"

Confused, she sat up, squinting her eyes at the figure of the boy she'd grown up with. "Jacob?" She asked. "What are you doing here?"

He grinned, showing off blindingly white teeth. "Visitor's pass." He flashed the slip at her. "Dad pulled some strings. I'm tailing your lessons. Trying out life in schools outside of the reservation."

His words were trustworthy enough, but it was the undertone of worry in her eyes that had her doubting his story. This had to be something to do with The Cullen's, and her admission that maybe, perhaps, Edward was worth the risk.

"_They'll kill you too."_

But that's the thing. Bella really didn't believe that.

If they were to … do that, surely they would have done it by now? Committed the sin and left town, the puzzled police force trying to figure out how it had happened.

"BELLA!" Her name was belted at her, and she started, jumping on the chair as Jessica merely calmly pushed her hair over her shoulder. "So, what was it like kissing Edward? I bet it was totally _indescribable_. But try anyway. You like reading, hit me with some adjectives."

Jacob's teeth instantly clenched, his fists curling at his sides. It even seemed like he was shaking with the anger he felt, trying to push the thought out of him. And, she could feel the interested gaze of twenty or so students trying to act like they weren't listening. So, it was with her gaze averted and her hands twisting among each other that she admitted the truth.

"We didn't kiss." She whispered, her voice carrying across to the furthest student in the silent classroom. "We basically just bumped into each other and he walked me to my car. That was it."

"But I heard he bought you something." Jessica insisted and Bella cringed as she saw the corner of her new beloved possession jutting out of her bag. Jessica followed her gaze. "A book? Seriously."

Only Jacob seemed interested by this, knowing what it could have meant to his long-term friend, and he pulled it out gingerly, as if he didn't want to touch it. He pulled through the pages, flicking them until one particular name caught his eye.

_Edward_.

Arching an eyebrow, he shoved the book back inside her book, out of sight and hidden away before he sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, squeezing them and giving her a pointed look. "So," he began happily, breaking all discussion. "What have we got first, Bella?"

* * *

Lunchtime was particularly difficult. If for no other reason than it was the first time in her day that she saw Edward Cullen, who, apparently, had been waiting for her. After catching sight of her – and her bodyguard – his look soured eyes narrowed and surprised at something as he glanced at Jacob's head, before turning back to Bella and shaking his head softly.

She watched as he turned to his sister, Alice, and saw her widen her eyes and mouth some words at him. Annoyed, Edward's eyes shut as Bella sat down at her table and Jacob followed suit, pecking her on the cheek platonically.

Every eye was focused on her, throwing her mixed looks of anger, shock and jealousy – the latter from the eyes of one Mike Newton.

She shrugged, eating her lunch as she fought to keep her eyes in front of her, and not drift over to where Edward sat.

Lunchtime had never been so long.

* * *

"Sorry, Mr. Black," Mr Banner rejected him at the door to Biology II. "This is an advanced class."

"But I'm –"

"I'm sorry," he repeated before shutting the door on the angry boy, flustered, considering this was the one lesson in which Bella spent a considerable amount of time fraternising with that Cullen guy.

Bella walked to her seat quietly, the feeling of eyes boring into her one she was scarily used to, after being subjected to it all day.

"Hey," Edward greeted her, his copper curls resting lightly against his pale skin. He looked un-humanly beautiful. "What's with tall, dark and … bodyguard?"

"Oh, um," she pushed her hair behind her ear. "My guardian, Billy, worries sometimes. He wonders if Jacob is getting the best education in La Push."

Edward arched his eyebrow as he let a hint of jealousy gleam in his eye, startling Bella with its intensity. "I missed you, after, you know."

The book weighed heavily in her bag, dragging on her shoulder.

"I kind of missed you too." She smiled shyly at him.

"So, why Jacob?" Edward insisted. "I know he's not hear for educational purposes – I could hear his –"

Edward instantly shut up, staring straight ahead as if he had said something he shouldn't have. "Why?" He asked again, changing the conversation into more neutral ground.

Annoyed, Bella replied immediately, ready to admit all she knew if only to stop all the secrets.

"Because," Bella said, twisting her body minutely away from him – a gesture that screamed volumes to him. "I know what you are." Her eyes narrowed him over her shoulder, challenging him to deny it. "_Vampire_."


	7. Six

**A.N - Wow. Since October? Seriously, I suck. There is some kind of explanation on my profile page - not that it excuses 5 months of no updates. I will stick with the story though. Updates will just be very staggered. **

**If anyone is still with me, it would be great to hear from you. :)**

* * *

Six

_Annoyed, Bella replied immediately, ready to admit all she knew if only to stop all the secrets._

"_Because," Bella said, twisting her body minutely away from him – a gesture that screamed volumes to him. "I know what you are." Her eyes narrowed him over her shoulder, challenging him to deny it. "Vampire."_

Her face. Bella's beautiful face was scrunched in anger. Eyes narrowed, full lips pursed and everything giving off such a poignant air of disgust that he couldn't help but wince slightly. Disgust. She was disgusted with him. For being what he was.

A _vampire_.

"Deny it," she continued in a seething whisper. "You can read minds, your skin is impossibly cold and your eyes change colour. Those are the signs Edward." Her eyes widened, the heavenly hazel practically _begging_ him to argue. And, oh, how he wanted to.

Edward was ready to deny his whole existence, if only to make her happy. If only to rid her fears.

"I'm sorry."

Those two words were the most he could manage; but they were also all it took to condemn him in the eyes of the girl he loved – his saviour from the horrors of the Volturi.

It was impossible, also, to believe that his world was ending during a high school Biology class. Now he had to endure another forty minutes of agonised silence as Bella turned from him, effectively cutting off all possibility of a conversation. And leaving him to focus on one little detail.

_Volturi._

Something akin to a cold sweat broke out across his body, his heart – had it been beating – would have seized in terror. Terror for the fate of one Isabella Swan.

She had known what he was, had admitted it to him, and in doing so had placed a proverbial guillotine above her head. The Volturi would kill her now; there were no questions to the contrary. Her only chance at survival now would be to commit to eternity with him.

Unlikely, considering that she now hated him.

Edward let his eyes fall shut, his fingers clenching and splintering the desk they were furled around as he clutched it with barely contained strength.

Death, it seemed, was inevitable.

* * *

Alice knew.

Biology had passed with strained silences and contempt-filled glares of loathing in his direction before the human girl moved with such speed at the end of the lesson that he had hardly begun to think of forming the word 'goodbye'.

As he walked outside the classroom, there stood his sister. Pixie eyes set into a fairy face, wisps of black hair jutting out at angles and falling becomingly against her vampiric-pale skin. With just one look he could tell what she had seen. Reading that thought for himself had only confirmed it.

Bella. Pale. Bloody. Scarlet liquid smeared the edges of her mouth, a single drop bubbling over and streaming along her white skin like a river – like the Nile during the plagues of Egypt. Bruises marred her skin.

Shutting his eyes against the image only served to increase its intensity. He could see, now, the fear that permanently haunted her eyes. The litter of teeth marks that were scattered along her arms almost as prominent as the same scars that stood out on Jasper's skin.

"Don't."

The single word moved Alice's thoughts onto other things, blocking them from Edward who sighed shakily.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I don't know."

"You have to convince her, Edward." Alice continued, her lilting voice both musical and grave. "If you don't, then she'll die. And you'll become a member of the Volturi."

"I know."

He had never expected the situation to get this far out of control. Honestly, he hadn't even expected to find the person whose blood sang for him. A year was barely anything in vampire time. Practically no time whatsoever in which to search for his soul mate and convince her that he wasn't a monster.

Edward scoffed. He _was_ a monster. How was he supposed to convince Bella that he wasn't when he didn't believe it himself?

"Edward," Alice smiled reassuringly. "She'll listen to you. You're not a monster."

The school was devoid of humans now; all of them were tucked away in their final periods. Strange, then, that he could hear a singular heartbeat close by. And the strong scent of flowery blood pounding beneath skin.

_La tua cantante._

Bella.

His eyes darkened as his head moved in a fast movement to pierce her gaze with his own.

Alice was gone. It was just the two of them.

"Edward." His name was a whisper on his lips, yet he heard it clearly. In her hands she clutched a book. The calligraphic script was recognisable even from this distance. Jane Austen. "I just wanted to –"

He was by her side in the next moment, cutting her off with a soft kiss against her lips – a kiss that sent his bloodlust soaring and the air from Bella's lungs rushing out shakily. "Shh, Bella." He soothed. "I'm sorry, I should have told you immediately."

He was only too aware of the time that he'd wasted already, and the little time they had left. The Volturi had their ways of knowing.

"I knew immediately, Edward." She whispered. "I could have said something too. I didn't want to believe it."

The comments were confusing, of course. Humans were not aware of the existence of vampires – those who discovered the truth were disposed of quickly. He placed a slender finger against her lips, cutting off her arguments.

"I have to get you out of here, Bella." Edward could feel their time together coming to an end, due in large part to the gradually increasing repulsive scent of Jacob Black getting closer. "I need to talk to you. Will you come with me?"

Her hesitation was brief. Two seconds had passed before she held out her hand, which Edward took with a shiver-inducing smile and nudged her towards him. The book fell out of her hands, landing haphazardly on the rain-spattered floor.

Clouds had gathered in the sky above them, a storm brewing.

Bella, however, could not find it in herself to care about the book she had left behind. Why should she read about a time long ago, and happily ever afters and iconic love stories when that's all they were? Just stories.

As far as Bella was concerned, she had found her happy ending.


	8. Seven

**A.N - As much as I love not going to school, boredom's a bitch. I'm so sorry for the delay. Again. All my chapters seem to say that. It's true in any case.**

**Hope you're still with me.**

* * *

Seven

"_I have to get you out of here, Bella." Edward could feel their time together coming to an end, due in large part to the gradually increasing repulsive scent of Jacob Black getting closer. "I need to talk to you. Will you come with me?"_

His hand remained wrapped around hers the whole journey. The long, pianist fingers curled elegantly around her own, encompassing her hand in an icy cage of possession, as his other hand wrapped around the steering wheel. Edward barely glanced at the road, his eyes, for the most part, remained solely on Bella and her reactions.

"You aren't scared?" He asked, wonder lacing every syllable that left his lips. "Worried that we'll crash?"

She shook her head, locks of brown waves falling over her pale face as she did so, and glanced up at him with wide, trusting eyes. "No." Her voice was strong; there was conviction in her words. "You wouldn't hurt me."

If only Edward could be as sure. Each passing second with her seemed like an eternity. His own personal, ever-lasting hell to be tempted by the rich fragrance of her blood pumping quickly beneath the surface of her skin and the flutter of her heartbeat quickening as she noticed his eyes had grown black with hunger.

"Would you?"

"No, Bella." Forcefully, he tore his eyes away and looked out at the wet road ahead of them. Raindrops lashed at the windscreen. "I wouldn't."

_Not if I can help it._

* * *

Only when they had entered the Cullen household did their hands separate. The rush of warm air that brushed against her now chilled fingers was almost scalding in comparison.

"Stay here, Bella, darling," his word were accompanied with a swift kiss to her temple and the swipe of a cold finger along the curve of her cheek. Smiling at her, he turned and called out for Carlisle.

The words spoken between the two were too low and too quick for Bella's understanding. As it was, Edward was apparently talking to himself, for Carlisle didn't open his mouth once. There were however short snatches of time where silence reigned in the house, before Edward continued, as if answering something that had gone unspoken.

Bella bit her lip gently, thinking.

"_So, why Jacob?" Edward insisted. "I know he's not here for educational purposes – I could hear his –"_

The sentence had gone unfinished but the words weren't too difficult to figure out. 'I could hear his thoughts.' Was that something that Billy had left out of his horror stories? Could vampires read minds?

She looked over at the pair once again, noticing Edward's mouth moving rapidly to get out the words that had forced a frown to settle upon his perfect face. Or was it just Edward?

"Carlisle!" A second voice joined in, followed by a third person joining the room. She was small and waif-like, a vampire pixie. Alice. "I see them. They're coming."

Edward looked up sharply, eyes narrowing at his sister before resting on Bella.

"Who?" Bella asked quietly, as Alice realised what she'd done - what she'd revealed - and turned to Bella with round eyes and an impossibly pale face.

Her vampire was by her side in less then a second, wrapping his strong arms around her as he whispered everything in her ear.

"I didn't want you to know," he started. "I didn't want to scare you. But, Bella, your knowledge of us … of _me_ … Bella, it's not good. Humans must never know of our existence. The Volturi deemed it so."

Bella's nose wrinkled in confusion. "The Volturi?"

"Yes," Edward smiled, kissed her nose. "They're like Vampire Royalty. We live by their rules. And they say that if a human discovers that vampires are real, they must be killed."

The rapid acceleration of her heartbeat in his ears was all that betrayed her fear.

"I won't tell anyone," she whispered into his chest, blinking back tears. "I promise you, I won't tell.

Silence punctuated the room until, "You told Jacob?"

Edward's voice was cool and detached.

"They were just stories, Edward." Bella's voice rang with sincerity. "They weren't supposed to be true. And then I saw you and I just … I was scared. You weren't supposed to exist. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn't going crazy. That my nightmares weren't coming true."

She made a mental note to talk to Jacob when she got home. He wouldn't tell anyone, not if her life was in danger. Of that she was sure.

He stiffened with his arms around her and turned his head to look at Alice, who merely nodded in response. A growl rumbled through Edward's chest as he caught her in a possessive grip and his fingers tightened their grasp of her upper arm. His eyes, Bella saw, were flecked with amber. "Whatever you just decided. Don't."

Her eyes narrowed. "I can't decide to not go home, Edward."

"You can when your future goes black, Bella. You can't go home. I can't keep an eye on you there."

Bella pulled away from his hold, anger radiating from her in waves. "You don't have to keep an eye on me at all - I'm perfectly capable of looking after myself!"

"Have you not heard a word I've said?" Edward's anger was more terrifying than she could've thought. His words bit at her. "There is a death order on _you_, Bella. There is a very real possibility that you can _die._" His voice shook. "I will not let you do anything that could take you away from me."

Speechless, Bella nodded and kissed his cheek acceptingly before reluctantly leaving his embrace. Her arms came up to wrap around herself. "What about Billy? What do I tell him?"

Distractedly, Edward muttered, "Tell him you're staying over a friend's house."

Bella nodded again, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Bella, I'm sorry." Edward ducked his head to see her eyes. "I really am. Just, please, understand. I'm terrified. I've searched for almost one hundred years to find you. You can't be taken away from me after less than a week."

Bella's nose wrinkled in confusion once again. "Just how old are you?"

Laughing, Edward captured her lips with his, kissing her slowly and testing how far he could give himself over completely without feeling the need to sink his teeth into her skin. "That, my darling, is a story for another day." The sweet kisses he placed against her lips left her breathless.

Smiling, she kissed him again. "And what about Jacob? He'll know, Edward. He won't believe the stories that I tell Billy."

"Jacob?" Edward stared at the far wall, his eyes glazing slightly as he thought of something, remembering. "Of course, Jacob! He can help us. Alice?"

She shook her head. "I can't see. It's just … black."

"Why does that keep happening?" Bella demanded.

"I think, Bella," Edward turned to smile his perfect white teeth at her, "that it's time for you to talk to your Jacob. He has been keeping secrets from you."


	9. Eight

**A.N - I love, love, loooove this chapter. I hope you guys do too.**

* * *

Eight

Jacob was standing some distance away; Edward pulled over almost as soon as he came into sight.

"So, vampires really can't travel into La Push?" The realisation seemed, to Bella, trivial after everything that had happened.

"Yes, that's true." Edward pulled open Bella's car door, helping her out. "It was in the terms of the treaty Carlisle signed."

Bella nodded acceptingly as she and Edward began to walk towards Jacob, who was walking towards them. Her eyes widened as she fully registered the sight he made. It couldn't have been possible – not at all – but Bella could have sworn that he'd grown _a lot_ since she'd last saw him a few hours ago.

Both men stopped at the same time, reaching the invisible border. The air between them almost crackled with tension. Her hand tightened around Edward's.

"Bella?" Jacob called, his eyes locked on the amber eyes of her boyfriend. "Are you al-?"

"I would _NEVER_ hurt her." Edward's words were a growl of instinctive anger, rumbling from his chest, and answering a question that had gone unasked.

Jacob, for his part, remained calm and pointedly raised an eyebrow at Edward, who sighed. "Yes," he admitted, his voice laced with exhaustion. "I can read minds." Catching a glimpse at Bella's face, where a mixture of disbelief and hurt contorted her expression, Edward immediately backtracked. "But not Bella's. I can't read Bella's mind." He turned to stare at her intently, willing her to believe him. "I cannot hear your thoughts; they are entirely your own."

The blush that graced her pale cheeks was more relief than embarrassment.

"Besides," Edward turned his attention back to Jacob, calmly tugging Bella into his embrace and tensing up for all of two seconds as he got used to the now closer scent of her blood. "I think it's you who has things to share, don't you _dog_?"

Her almost-brother glared. "Bella knows all the stories. She knows of the pact between the werewolf and the bloodsucker. She knows of the horrible things vampires have done."

"Yes, but does she know that you are a descendant of those werewolves?"

"She knows that you're a leech and she still accepts you!"

"She –"

"… Is right here and can talk for herself." Bella interrupted the argument and stepped away from Edward, although she still kept her hand tightly wrapped in his. "Jacob? Is it true?"

He hung his head. "Yes, Bella. Remember when I got sick a few weeks back? Well, that was when it happened. That's when I … changed."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I dunno." Jacob lifted a muscular arm and scratched the back of his head. "Embarrassment? Fear? Then the vampires came along and you fell for this one," Jacob jerked his head angrily at Edward, "and what was I supposed to do? Your thoughts were filled with him, whether you were scared or infatuated."

"You still could have told me." Bella insisted, at which Jacob's heard jerked up and regarded her sadly.

"The revealing of one mythical creature this week was life-changing enough, don't you think?"

She smiled, widely, with the unnoticeable glitter of unshed tears in her eyes. That was the Jacob she knew and loved.

"Yes," Edward interrupted, "but life will also be changing for Bella – for the both of you – again, shortly."

"What do you mean?" Jacob's anger was rolling off him in waves and his fist was clenched in an effort to deny his wolf the urge to change and attack his natural enemy for putting Bella's life at risk.

"Jacob Black," Edward stated stoically, in his musical – to Bella's ears – voice. "We need your help."

* * *

The Volturi were due, according to Alice, to arrive the next day.

Bella and Edward had spoken to Jacob and asked him to tell Billy she was spending the night at Jessica's. Reluctantly, he'd agreed, before checking, "five o'clock tomorrow, right?"

"Right."

He encased her in a tight hug then, his muscled, scalding arms burning her in the places previously inhabited by cold. "Be careful," his voice said huskily into her ear before he let her go and looked over at Edward. "Look after her."

"With my life," Edward inclined his head at Jacob in acknowledgement before both he and Bella climbed into the silver Volvo and sped away, back to the Cullen house.

The house was silent, save for a few whispered conversations that were too quiet for Bella to understand. Curled up against Edward, his perfect and strong form cradling her as his nose remained buried in her neck, teasing himself with her blood but never tasting, Bella felt her exhaustion catch up with her and began to sleepily droop against Edward.

"Sleep, Bella, honey," he whispered. "Tomorrow will be hard on us both."

Tired, she nodded and yawned. As much as Bella wanted to stay awake with Edward, spend all night talking to him and building up memories with him so he wouldn't forget her, should everything fail miserably tomorrow night, her body was begging for sleep. For oblivion.

"Stay with me?" Her question was mumbled, and directed towards his marble chest where her face lay.

"Always." Pressing a kiss to her temple, he picked her up in his arms easily and the next thing Bella knew, they were lying together in Edward's room, on a bed that took up a considerable amount of space.

"Why do you have this, if vampires can't sleep?" She was awake enough to remember who she was with, what he was. She could never forget that he was perfect, otherworldly, no matter her state of consciousness.

"Because, Bella," Edward spoke quietly, lying still alongside her and tentatively reaching out to wrap her in his arms. "Humans do."

Then she slept.

* * *

As Bella lay sleeping, Edward lay awake and watching her. She mumbled in her sleep, sometimes forming clear words. The sound of his name tumbling from her lips was almost euphoric to hear.

He held her when she turned, brushed hair back from her cheek as it fell forward, placed kisses upon her face as it scrunched up in sleepy confusion. He loved her.

Edward loved Bella and the Volturi wanted to take her away from him, go against their agreement and deny Edward of his _tua cantante_ just so he could join them. To become Prince of the Volturi.

There was no way on Earth that Edward was going to let them take her. He refused to live in a world that didn't have Bella in it.

If she died, he died.

Bella murmured, turned. Her lips opened slightly, parting.

She wasn't going to die.

His arms tightened minutely around her and he gazed down at her fiercely, relishing in the sound of her heartbeat sounding strongly and the feel of her warm skin against his own icy touch. Resisting the blood that pumped so close to the surface.

"I love you, Bella," he whispered, brushing his lips softly against hers before he shut his eyes and immersed himself in his senses.

Immersed himself in her.

And the calm before the storm that was certain to strike.


	10. Nine

**A.N - Um, sorry. Both for the delay, and the way this ends. Let me know what you think?**

* * *

Nine

When Bella woke, the day was brighter than most days in Forks. Edward had his arms banded around her, looking down gently at her upturned face, peaceful in sleep. Bleary, Bella blinked up at him and smiled softly.

"Hey," she whispered, not wanting to break the silence that reigned in the room – in the house.

"Good morning." His voice, as always, was musical and perfect.

Tentatively, Bella stretched her head up and kissed him – quickly, so as to not discomfort him too much with her proximity. In the instant that their lips touched, time stood still for her. She couldn't remember if it was their first, or their millionth kiss. All Bella knew was that he intoxicated her.

He was about to protest the loss, claim he could control himself and capture her lips more firmly with his own when she spoke again.

"Hey, you sparkle in the sun." Her hand rose to his face and ran slowly over his skin, connecting one diamond to another. "I'd heard the stories but I didn't think it was actually true."

Regret and self-loathing gripped him. There was so much she didn't know, so much he could teach her, show her. She had her entire life to hear stories and to learn the truth. But because he loved her, her life was at risk. Cut short after seventeen years.

"It's true." Edward's voice was low. "All the stories are true. I wish I could show you."

"You can," Bella smiled though Edward would have to be blind to miss the terror in her eyes. "After all of this with the Volturi is over, I promise you that we'll have forever."

"Forever is a long time."

She shook her head, petulantly. "It's not enough."

He said nothing in response, leaving an extended beat of silence before, "I can control myself, you know. Your kisses … they can be longer. I can manage it. If we went to anything _more_, I think that then the problems will start."

Happily, she nodded and turned her face to his again, her hand falling flat against his cold cheek, his skin sparkling between her spread fingers. Edward froze and breathed deeply, relishing everything about her – her smell, her touch, her _warmth_. But only for a second. In the next, his lips were on hers and suddenly they were the last two people in the world.

In that moment, there was nothing but the other.

* * *

They'd met in clearing, away from prying human eyes. The Cullens stood in a line, Edward gripping Bella's hand fiercely, opposite the fast approaching mass of the Volturi.

"What's the time?" Edward hissed.

"It's half four – earlier then expected." Carlisle was the one to respond.

Edward cursed. "Alice, what do you see?"

She hesitated for a moment, before relenting and opening her mind to Edward, allowing him to see as she did the visions of fighting, bloodshed and, worst of all, an injured, bleeding Bella. No one acknowledged Edward's tighter hold on Bella.

"Bella, please, don't talk." Edward urged, his hands curling around her upper arms as he looked directly at her. "Don't move. Don't draw attention to yourself in anyway. Carlisle and I will do the talking and everyone else will protect you. Can you promise me that?"

Bella nodded, silently.

"No matter what happens, Bella."

"I promise."

He nodded, and she caught a glimpse of eyes filled with agonising terror before he shut them and kissed her, quickly, and whispered to her. "I love you, Bella."

"I love you too." She replied. "With everything I have."

"God," Edward groaned. "Bella …" He kissed her again, longer and more passionately this time, before wrenching away and joining Carlisle, who was waiting for him to face the Volturi. A glance behind him saw that his family safely surrounded Bella. The only way in which she could have been safer was if Jacob was there also. But the Volturi had arrived half an hour too early for their plan to work.

A warning glare at Jasper cut off the calming sensation being forced upon him before it even began. He knew his brother.

Slowly, Carlisle and Edward approached the three distinct figures and stopped a respectable distance away. Even so, the vampires' words travelled easily across the expanse of land between them.

"So nice to see you again, Edward." Aro called jovially. "Still searching for the one whose blood sings for you?"

"No." The word was spat out between clenched teeth and this time he welcomed the wave of calm that washed over him. Antagonising these vampires, now, wouldn't be the best way to help Bella.

"Ah, so you have decided to join us early, then?"

"I have not." His words, this time, were more polite.

"Then you provide us with a rather difficult situation." Aro sighed. "Because the girl your family have failed to protect," Edward turned his sharp glare towards his family and saw them still safely guarding Bella, rendering Aro's words senseless, "is a human who knows our secret. And that cannot be tolerated."

"What will become of her?" Carlisle asked gently.

"She will be killed," Caius interjected. "Naturally."

Edward couldn't contain the growl that rumbled in his chest and he lunged towards the three vampire royals only to be halted by an intense pain instantly wracking his body and he collapsed to the floor, clenching his teeth against the pain.

"You dare threaten the Volturi?" The girl's voice was easily identifiable as Jane's and the smile on her face showed her pleasure at hurting him.

"You _will_ let us have the girl."

And, even through the pain, Edward gritted out, "I won't."

"You gave him a year, Aro," Carlisle spoke up to deflect attention. "A year in which to find his soul mate. Edward has found that in Bella."

"Even so, you shouldn't have revealed what we are."

"I didn't," Edward insisted, gasping. "She guessed."

"Really, well –"

But Aro's sentence was never finished. Through the haze that Jane's intense infliction of pain had caused, Edward heard Alice scream Bella's name, followed by a resounding 'No!'. He jerked his head sideways and watched as Bella stepped forward, agony on her face, and revealed herself.

Aro smirked, clicked his fingers and the fog around Edward lifted, his body in his own control once again. Even so, he wasn't quick enough to prevent what happened. He was only quick enough to reach Bella's side the second after Jane slashed Bella's wrist with a lethally sharp nail.

"Oh, God," he whispered to her. "Oh Bella. You promised."

And even as his love lay dying, Edward felt the sickening sensation of hunger ripple through him. He was surrounded by the delicious scent of her blood and he wasn't strong enough to resist.

He loomed over her, teeth bared and ready.

"Edward, don't." Emmett warned, his voice barely registering in Edward's mind. His was filled only with thoughts of Bella. "You'll regret it."

"Emmett, it's okay." Alice prevented Emmett from moving forward. "Watch."

She was paler then normal and she was losing blood rapidly. The usually strong beat of her heart was fluttering in a desperate attempt to cling on to life.

"Edward," even her voice was fading, a breathy gasp taking over from her usual tone. "I love you."

_She loves me_, Edward thought. _Even as a monster, she loves me. And now she's dying and it's my fault._

Then, Bella tilted her face away from Edward's, revealing her neck. She was truly accepting him for what he was, and what he was about to do.

"I love you too, Bella."

Edward kissed her lips softly and then, hating himself even as he did so and feeling the guilt wrack through his body, he gave into what the monster in him was telling him; He gave into his hunger.

And he bit her.


	11. Ten

**A.N – I don't think many of you kinda liked the fact that Edward actually bit Bella at the end of last chapter. Which is fair enough. I'm defending it like this though: in the book, by the time Bella got all bloody in front of Edward, they'd been together a lot longer and he had the time to get used to the allure of her blood and stuff.**

**I've lost track of my timescale, to be honest, but I'm pretty sure they've only known each other for like a week or two? Not nearly enough time for Edward to compose himself. I guess it's just how I expected him to act under those circumstances. **

**I'm just trying to give you guys something you haven't read before. Hope you like. :)**

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* * *

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Ten

He was ripped away from her seconds later.

Instinctively, he growled, and fought against the vampire that held him in a tight grip all whilst his eyes were centred on Bella. He caught sight of Carlisle heading over to tend to the savage bite he'd made in her pale throat, the vibrant scarlet of her blood making a sharp contrast against her ivory skin.

"You _stupid_ boy." Aro spat at him, shoving Edward a few steps backwards and blocking his view. "Do you have any idea what you've _done_?"

Edward's eyes were painfully raw. "I'm all too aware of how I just helped to kill the girl I love." He spoke harshly, uncaring, now, of the proper decorum and respect that came when dealing with the Volturi. "And how it's your fault too. These were your terms Aro. _Yours_. And when I found her, you went back on your word." Edward glared at the elder vampire. "I'll never join your coven now."

Bella was deadly still. Carlisle was stemming the blood flow both from her neck and her wrist, wrapping cloths ripped from his shirt around the bleeding wounds. Even Edward knew there was no hope; Bella had lost too much blood and the scent of which had piqued every vampire's interest. Edward moved forward, wanting to go to her, wanting to help, but found his path blocked once again.

"Let me pass!" He roared.

"_No!_" The thunder of Aro's voice rang with authority and Edward was unable to do anything but agree. "You really have no idea. In biting that soul mate of yours," he spat the words out mockingly, before laughing a derisive laugh and continuing, "_la tua cantante_, you have turned her into something … else. Something inhuman."

Edward's hands tightened into fists. "She isn't one of us. I could never do that to her."

"Oh, we know," Caius' voice joined in, ambling idly over to them. "She is quite obviously still human. You have made something that all of us will envy, and as a result, the two of you will never be safe."

"What do you mean?" Edward's face was twisted into an expression of agonising torment. Bella, his love, his life, lay _dying_ by his hand and all he wanted to do was go to her, spend her last moments with her before quite possibly joining her as soon as he could afterwards. He'd never be able to live with all the guilt that was building inside of him. "Bella is _dead_. We killed her."

"Bella," Aro's eyes flashed, "is _not _dead, she's –"

A rumble of growls echoed through the clearing and Edward fought the urge to laugh. The wolves had arrived – Jacob, and his pack. Too late, they'd arrived.

The laughter of the other vampires was cruel, mocking. "Werewolves?" Marcus laughed. "We outperform the werewolves by far; in strength and number." He shook his head in amusement. "Run along now, little dogs. This isn't your fight."

But one wolf, with russet fur, had caught sight of Bella and his eyes glinted. Turning his head, he saw Edward, fighting to reach Bella, her blood smeared along his mouth. Growling, he leaped and attacked the vampire.

Edward accepted every blow, knowing he deserved that and so much worse for what he'd done. Both Jacob – in wolf skin – and Edward ignored the melee going on around them, where the rest of the wolf pack had dived in the midst of the Volturi, ripping limb from limb some of the slower, younger vampires that made up the Volturi's army. They were both focused entirely on different things: Jacob on hurting, killing, the vampire who hurt Bella and Edward on the pain he felt. Edward focused on the sensation of dying, like Bella must be feeling at that moment.

Yet, somehow, both managed to hear _her_ words when she spoke.

"Jake," she whispered, her voice faint and easily carried away by the breeze. "Don't." The ghost of a smile tainted her lips. "… Love him."

The wolf's growl clearly displayed his displeasure at that request, but he acceded anyway, leaving Edward bloody and bruised on the floor as he went to join in the bigger fight. Esme, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie all fought as well. Carlisle was focused on Bella, and Alice was hovering over Edward.

"Edward, come on," she pulled him up, ignoring his grunts of pain and his please to be left alone. "Edward you need to see this. It's what Aro was trying to tell you." Growling when he still ignored her, she continued. "_Look_."

And in his head, Edward saw the future, courtesy of Alice. There was Bella, smiling, happy, glowing, and healthy. But, most importantly, she was _alive._

"How?" His word was quiet_,_ fierce.

"Aro tried to tell you." She shook her head, her short, pixie haircut falling across her face. "I'll explain later. Right now, you need to go to her."

He was at her side in a flash, cradling her cold, pale hand in his own colder, paler ones. The gash in her wrist had stopped leaking blood, leaving an angry red line, while the marks on her throat were taking longer to close. Vampire venom.

"She'll die first, Edward." Carlisle muttered. "Are you sure you can handle that?"

He swallowed, his eyes never flickering away from Bella. Her breaths were getting shallower. "I can." He moved a hand to cup her cheek as he spoke to her. "I'm so sorry, Bella," he whispered. "This is all my fault."

"You're right bloodsucker," Jacob appeared, topless. His bottom half was covered in tatty jeans. "This is your fault. You killed her."

"No, he didn't." Carlisle insisted at the moment Bella took her last breath and her chest stopped moving. Her heart had stopped beating.

"Oh yeah?" The pain and grief was evident in Jacob's voice. "Then explain that."

"Her body's shutting down. She needs to heal, to rest. The transition is tough."

"Transition?" Jacob turned scathing eyes on Edward. "You made her into one of you? How could you do that? She _hated_ you!"

"I didn't!" Edward objected. "I swear I didn't. Not enough of my venom entered her." The last part was said quietly.

"Bella's not dead, guys." Alice insisted. "Look."

Four pairs of eyes turned to watch as Bella's pale skin shifted to a still pale, yet healthier glow. The rush of blood through her veins was returning and the sound was a welcome one to Edward; the silence and her lack of smell had been horrific.

"What's happening?" Jacob asked, turning wild eyes on the vampires surrounding him. "_What did you do to her?_"

"It's what happened when she accepted your bite earlier, Edward." Alice explained. "She accepted you – the vampire you – and she must have agreed to spend forever with you too?"

Their earlier conversation drifted into his thoughts, and he nodded.

"_I promise you that we'll have forever."_

"_Forever is a long time."_

"_It's not enough."_

"What happened to her?" Jacob insisted, running his warm hands over her hair and across her cheekbones, heating up her already-warming skin.

"She accepted the pain of a vampire's bite. She made that sacrifice." Alice smiled. "You made her immortal, Edward."


End file.
